Tom Campbell is in a three-way Republican race to challenge US Senator Barbara Boxer. Can a moderate with modest means hold his lead against one opponent with big money and another who’s a solid right-winger? What about same-sex marriage? We talk with Campbell. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, President Obama made a familiar appeal yesterday, proposing to open vast swaths of the ocean to exploration for oil and gas.

FROM THIS EPISODE

Tom Campbell supports abortion rights and same-sex marriage, but he’s holding a slight lead in the Republican campaign to replace US Senator Barbara Boxer. We ask Campbell how he plans to hold out against multi-millionaire Carly Fiorina and arch-conservative Assemblyman Chuck DeVore. Also, in proposing to open vast swaths of the ocean to exploration for oil and gas, President Obama made a familiar appeal. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, with little time left until the mid-term elections, we hear about the green economy, national security and the goal of "energy independence."

Banner image: Then-Republican gubernatorial nomination hopeful and former congressman Tom Campbell speaks at the Orange County Forum on October 14, 2009 in Irvine, California. Photo: David McNew/Getty Images

The President says his offshore oil-and-gas proposal will "break out of the broken policies of the past." But he's set off a familiar debate over energy needs and environmental protection. Will it lead to another stalemate or a breakthrough on global warming — in an election year?

Tom Campbell is one of three Republican hopefuls for the US Senate seat of Democrat Barbara Boxer. He served five terms in Congress from Silicon Valley. He's been a state senator, director of finance for Governor Schwarzenegger and dean of the business school at UC Berkeley. His opponents are former Hewlett CEO Carly Fiorina and conservative Assemblyman Chuck DeVore.